Zettel

Zettel is a desktop Command Line Interface (CLI) application for managing a personal Zettelkasten note-taking system. It's optimized for users who prefer keyboard commands, allowing you to efficiently build and navigate a knowledge base through your keyboard.

Features

• Multiple repositories: Create and switch between different note repositories
• Note management: Create, edit, delete, and search notes with unique IDs
• Organization: Pin important notes, archive old ones, and tag notes for categorization
• Linking: Create one-way or bidirectional links between notes to build a knowledge graph
• Tags: Global tag management with rename and delete operations
• Search: Find notes by content or metadata

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• JDK 17 (use the exact version)
• Gradle (included via wrapper)

Setup in IntelliJ IDEA

1. Ensure JDK 17 is configured as described here
2. Import the project as a Gradle project as described here
3. Verify setup: Locate src/main/java/seedu/zettel/Zettel.java, right-click and choose Run Zettel.main()

Running the Application

Build and run using Gradle:

./gradlew build
./gradlew run

Or on Windows:

gradlew.bat build
gradlew.bat run

Usage Examples

# Initialize a new repository
init my_notes

# Create a note
new -t "First Note" -b "This is my first note"

# List all notes
list

# Pin a note
pin a1b2c3d4

# Add tags
new-tag important
add-tag a1b2c3d4 important

# Link notes together
link a1b2c3d4 e5f6g7h8

# Search for notes
find "keyword"

For detailed command documentation, see the User Guide.

Note: Keep the src\main\java folder as the root folder for Java files, as this is the default location some tools (e.g., Gradle) expect to find Java files.

Testing

JUnit Tests

Run automated tests:

./gradlew test

Or on Windows:

gradlew.bat test

Text UI Tests

Run I/O redirection tests:

cd text-ui-test
./runtest.sh        # Linux/Mac
runtest.bat         # Windows

Code Quality

This project uses:

• Gradle for build automation and dependency management (see build.gradle)
• Checkstyle for code style enforcement (configuration in config/checkstyle/)
• GitHub Actions for continuous integration

Run Checkstyle locally:

./gradlew checkstyleMain checkstyleTest

If you are new to these tools:

• Gradle Tutorial
• JUnit Tutorial
• Checkstyle Tutorial

Documentation

Full documentation is available in the docs/ folder:

• User Guide - Complete command reference and usage instructions
• Developer Guide - Architecture and implementation details
• About Us - Team information

Project Structure

src/main/java/seedu/zettel/
├── commands/          # All command implementations
├── storage/           # File I/O and repository management
├── exceptions/        # Custom exceptions
├── util/              # Utility classes
├── Note.java          # Note data structure
├── UI.java            # User interface handling
├── Parser.java        # Command parsing
└── Zettel.java        # Main application class

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTORS.md for the list of contributors.

When contributing:

1. Follow the existing code style (enforced by Checkstyle)
2. Add tests for new features
3. Run ./gradlew check before submitting PRs
4. Update relevant documentation

Acknowledgments

This project is based on the Duke project template for CS2113 at the National University of Singapore.